Aspect Ratios

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  • #169857
    gcconnelly
    Participant

      Hi Roger!

      I was curious about your thought process when it comes to picking an aspect ratio for a film. Why, for instance, did you choose a 1.78 ratio for “Prisoners” and “A Serious Man,” while going with 2.39 for “Sicario” and 2.35 for “No Country for Old Men?” Do you feel like there are advantages one aspect ratio gives over the other?

      I was also curious how you feel about the increasingly popular 2:1 ratio.

       

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    • #170043
      Roger Deakins
      Keymaster

        Why? I cant really explain that. The choice of aspect ratio comes after discussions with the director.

        Yes, 2:1 seems quite popular but it is probably only a coincidence that the ‘right’ projects came along.

        #170046
        gcconnelly
        Participant

          What are the sort of things you would discuss with the director to decide the aspect ratio? In “A Serious Man” for instance, what led you to shoot the intro in 1.33 while shooting the rest in 1.85?

          #170050
          Roger Deakins
          Keymaster

            The Coen Brothers wanted the ‘old film’ to introduce “A Serious Man’ so 1:33 gave that feeling. Otherwise, the film felt quite intimate and naturalistic. I suspect that is why we chose 1:85.

            Some directors just like to shoot 2:35 and that is just a given. Personal choice. Nothing profound.

            #185169
            James Parsons
            Participant

              I’m in the middle of shooting a project in 2.39:1, cropped from a 6K 1.78 recording. We made the decision to frame that way to always include our characters’ surroundings even in the most intimate closeups. It also allows us to set a broad stage on which to let our characters perform in wide shots. In conjunction with this framing decision, we’ve greatly limited our handheld camerawork to only two or three specific moments. Everything maintains a very formal presentation, which (we hope) is suited to the story.

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